Around the Bluhmin’ Town

By

Judy Bluhm

Manuel, welcome back! Our sweet and friendly tarantula has just arrived at my friend Diane’s house in New River for his annual visit! Twenty-plus years have gone by since he first sauntered up the driveway and made a pattern of staying with Diane for three months at a time. Manuel did not show up last year and we all feared the worst.

It’s a scary world out there. Sometimes, Dear Readers, we just need a friend. A friend who will walk through a scorching desert, escape the perils of predators, suffer through the wind, rain and dust of monsoons with no map, GPS or cell phone, just to come back home. So, Manuel made the journey and strutted through Diane’s open door to once again grace her life with his presence.

Diane has given us thrilling reports about Manuel and his antics. You see, this is the routine. He shows up, unannounced and then lounges around the house for three months. On the ceiling (occasionally over her bed), in the shower stall (stay dirty that day), on the kitchen counter (eat out) and sometimes just resting on the back of the sofa (keep standing). In other words, Manuel makes himself at home!

One year, Manuel decided to crawl inside Diane’s big Velcro hair curlers and was found sleeping like a baby. Imagine Diane’s shock when she went to put a curler in her hair to discover a tarantula curled up inside! Diane screamed and Manuel just walked indignantly away to find another “secret spot.” And so it goes. When you let a spider have the rule of the house, tiptoe carefully and be prepared! Wear your hair straight.

Here is the story from the beginning. Our spidey, fondly called Manuel, likes to arrive in late July and leaves in early October. The arachnid specialist at the Phoenix Zoo speculates that this tarantula has an established migration pattern which has been likely imprinted into the offspring. And since a female tarantula can live twenty-five years (males usually ten to twelve years) it might be safe to say that this furry little beast is actually a female, or offspring of Manuel.

It all started one July day, when Diane noticed something with a big belly and hairy legs walking into her house through an open sliding door (no, it wasn’t her neighbor). Yikes, a spider of the biggest, furriest kind was strutting around her kitchen! Consider the kind heart and calm disposition that it takes to open your home to a big, fat spider! Not a pet, nor a companion, just a little creature of God that strolled innocently in through an open door. After checking out the premises and the occupant, he liked what he saw and kept coming back.

Yes, there are problems in the world, but with Manuel’s arrival, it is a reminder that the earth is spinning on its proper axis and the stars are lined up just right. Life is good, because one, happy eight-legged critter has come “home.” Dear Readers, if you see one of our Arizona wonders, the tarantula, please look kindly and do not be afraid. They make perfect houseguests.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local realtor. Contact Judy at [email protected] or visit www.aroundthebluhmintown.com.